ENGL 109: Information Resources

How to do better research:
Information Research Process:

1) Define information needs/Choose a topic
   a) Look at sources such as Library of congress Subfect headings
   b) Choose a topic that meets th erequirements of your assignment
   c) choose a topic that relates to your own life.

2) Browse reference collection to provide a fundation for your search
   a) Find background information
   b) Identify the pioneers in the field
   c) Look for a bibliography

3) State your topic as a question or a problem
   a) Analyze a research problem into distinct segments
   b) Narrow your topic to a manageable size
   c) Express the main ideas of the problem
   d) If appropriate, write a statement that can be tested

4) Identify and difine the key concepts
   a) Choose the significant concepts and generate a list of search terms
   b) Use thesaurus or dictionary of synonyms for similar terms
   c) Identify narrower, broader, and related terms

5) Determine the information requirement
   a) Source of information
   b) Length of the paper
   c) Format of the sources
   d) Depth of the information

6) Identify potential sources that are most appropriate for your topic
   a) Online catalogs
   b) Periodical databases (print and electronic)
   c) The internet
   d) Government documents

7) Locate and retrieve relevant information
   a) Understand the search parameters of the databases
   b) Understand the concept of Boolean logic
   c) Learn about truncation and proximity operators

8) Critically evaluate the information
   (see Evluation checklist)

9) Synthesize, organize, and apply information
   a) Read and extract relevant information
   b) Analyze information (data, facts, observation, experience...)
   c) Organize information with maximum clarity.

10)Document sourse:
   a) Acknowledge material taken from others' work
   b) Use the appropriate style for bibliography